1810 the french officer Jean Babtiste Bernadotte came to southern Sweden accompanied by one of Napoleons marshals Monsieur Bernadotte , the man who was going to become King Karl XIV Johan. It was at this time the French Empire style came to Sweden. Napoleons architects: Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine developed the style in France during the late 1790. They took Neoclassicism and gave it heavier look. Inspired by the roman empires strong lined art and architecture warlike attributes such as eagles, shields, helmets and spears became important symbols of the period. The glory years for this period was between 1804-1814 when Napoleon I was the emperor which also gave the period its name; Empire. During 1830 the style got softer and late Empire and in southern part of Sweden it got blonder – Biedermeier.

Mahognay with gilded details dominated the periods materials for furniture and mirrors and it was during this period the wallpaper was introduced in the form of panoramic views with classical ruins. Silk upholstery with matching window treatments in strong colors such as green, lemon yellow, red or gold was the highest fashion. Sweden also got its first silk weaving mill thanks to a Swede who smuggled a weaving chair to Sweden from France.

Liza Laserow, the daughter of the mother-daughter-owned company Laserow Antiques. Born and raised in Sweden, Liza moved to New York City, where, though she had trained to be a lawyer. Her mother, Karin, founded a showroom in Sweden 30 years ago and, in 2009, Liza helped launch a Laserow Antiques outpost in the New York Design Center in Manhattan. The exquisite gallery features furniture curated from Sweden’s most significant periods—Baroque, Rococo, Gustavian, and Empire—spanning from 1650 to 1820.

Today, Rosendal Palace looks very much the same as it did during King Karl XVI Johan and King Oskar’s days, which makes it a unique document of the European Empire style.

The Empire style, which in Sweden is also known as Karl Johan style, is characterised by furniture in mahogany, wall-to-wall carpeting and magnificent curtain arrangements in strong colours. The Red Salon, the Blue Salon, the Yellow Salon and the Green Salon are all witness to the importance of colour for the period´s interiors.Noteworthy parts of the palace to see include the Library, in which Karl XIV Johan’s book collection is kept in mint condition and the interior of King Karl XIV Johan´s bedchamber which was moved from the Royal Palace in Stockholm to Rosendal in 1913.

A set of 6 Empire dining chairs made in Sweden during the Karl Johan
Period. Frame in mahogany with gilded flower detail on black splat.
Newly upholstered.

A pair of empire desk chairs in mahogany with gilded details in shapes of balls, flowers and fan

A set of four beautiful Empire Armchairs in their original paint. A cream white with green detailing. Newly upholstered

A exquisite crystal chandelier from the early part of 19th Century and
Karl Johan period. Frame made on brass with gilt bronze details. Diamond
shaped crystals. Four arms for candles and one in the middle of lower
basket Calles “welcoming candle”. All original.

A beautiful and large Swedish Karl Johan mirror from the early 19th
century. Its made in gilt wood and decorated with a carved corniche with
a demi lune shaped top mirror. One colon on each side according to the
symbols of the neoclassisism.

An exquisite tall gilt wood mirror made during the Karl Johan period
with a demi lune shaped molding. A rectangular ending decorated with
leaves.

A comprehensive guide to blending beautiful antiques into a modern home.

Incorporating antique furniture and art into a modern home may seem like a contradiction, but Karin Laserow and Britt Berg show just how easy it is and how stunning the results can be. Highlighting the rich traditions of Swedish furniture and other décor, this full-color guide begins by explaining the basics of antique furniture, from style histories to the nuanced differences of Baroque, Rococo, Empire, Gustavian, Art Nouveau, and more, with striking photographs throughout. Readers are taught how to tell the difference between old and new, how to evaluate antiques, and how to determine whether repairing, repainting, and refinishing are worthwhile decisions for protecting antique investments.

Welcome! My name is Meranda Devan and this is my website. My husband and started blogging back in 2008, and today we feel blessed that we can work from our little country home. Simply,.. I am a mom and a wife working full time to spread the gospel. There IS A God, and He cares about YOUR life. Please visit my website Why God Really Exists.com for prophetic dreams and visions and the best evidence for God. Find out more about me at this link. I would love to add you as a contact on Facebook. See my main facebook page, and my secondary page. If you love what I post, you might love what I pin. Follow my pinterest page. I would love to hear from you; drop me an email. We would be honored if you republish any of our articles, we just ask you keep the content the same and include a direct link back to the original article and the author. Huge blessings to you and your family!

The 17th and 18th century has to be in my opinion the most beautiful time in all of history. The most popular designs through this time still seem to be ones that are cherished today. This blog focuses on design found in the regions of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Join me as I discover the history behind this time period- Meranda Devan(Do you have an article that might work nicely on our website? Please feel free to email me here)

May all of you be blessed with good work, health and peace. The materials on this site are for educational purposes only. Affliliate Links are used on this site, please support us through our amazon and ebay links.